Artemis Fowl: Discovery
by White Scribe
Summary: 2 years since the Opal Deception left Artemis a changed boy, Then someone he never knew nor expected comes into his life, with a challange.R
1. Chapter 1

_Hello everyone! This is another one of my experimental attempts at a fic. As you hopefully know, this is an Artemis Fowl fic, which I have never written before, therefore you will all have to forgive me. I know I'm not great at Fanfics, therefore advice is great, give all you like. _

_However, flames... yeah, I dun take them too well. I can take a whole bunch of advice, even critical advice, really, I don't mind. But I'm warning you now, I'm not great at this stuff. _

_If I like the way this goes on, I will prolly write another two or three Artemis Fics, all of course with a different plot and so on. _

_Anyway, here is the story, I hope you all like. _

_This is based after the fourth book, btw. _

* * *

PROLOGUE

**Excerpt from Detective Holly Short Memory Documents File 3(Encrypted)**

_For the past two years I have been trying very hard to forget all that has happened, all that happened long ago. It seems my mind is not apt to do so, and I have many dreams during the hours that I bother to sleep filled with images of my lost Commander and friend. _

_I suppose, even though I know that I could have done nothing now, I feel the painful bite of guilt. I'm not sure what it is that I am guilty about. I did all that I could, my mind seems to have accepted that idea._

_It's hard not to, when geniuses such as Artemis and Foaly and even damned Opal inform me of the impossibility of my helping Commander Root. _

_But even the last sentece I just typed says how hard it is for me to let go. I keep calling him Commander Root, as if he were still my superior and I still and officer... However those days are long past. _

_Mulch and I have been doing well, I don't understand why it is that I'm so unsettled. I'm actually happy most of the time, unless I am alone in my room to listen to the constant voices of my conscience and my reason arguing over past events that simply should not affect me anymore..._

_I content myself most of the time by keeping busy until I fall asleep from sheer exhaustion. Artemis has got wind of this somehow, a notion that annoys me greatly. I have my suspicions that Mulch informed the little Mud Boy of my late night researching into cases. _

_He's been rather persistant in his attempt to get me to stop me from staying up deep into the night. However, sinec he is unable to come down here and do anything physically I am safe for now. _

_No doubt the ingenius boy will come up with something to get me with later on when he sees his little lectures have done nothing. However, it is a good feeling to know that they care... That he cares. _

_He's changed so much in the past two years, I'm actually having a hard time keeping up with the changes. _

_Butler informed me that he is no longer going to that boarding school he was at before Opal's plan came into play. He's going to school somewhere near home, and his behaviour has changed. _

_I've watched him sometimes from Foaly's links... It's illegal, I know well, but that doesn't matter. Sometimes laws can be bent without anyone being hurt. _

_I've watched him while he's at school. I think I'm beginning to get used to the way Mud Men react to one another. If my suspicions are right, then I would say he is actually rather popular amongst his peers. Not overly so, Artemis likes his space... But I like the side of him that does not push everyone away. _

_Oh... it's late again, by human time I'd say Arty is in school already. Agh... by the gods, I just called him Arty. It only figures, I suppose. _

_One way or the other, I have cases to work on. All this thinking has made my brain finally wake up... Hmm, seems like a found a better way of waking one up without the use of caffeine infested coffee... How Mud Men drink that stuff is beyond me..._

* * *

**Fowl Manor, Outskirts of Dublin, Ireland**

"How it is that you can drink that bitter chemical is beyond me, Juliet. For god's sake, you even know what it does to your body and yet you continue to-"

The younger Butler child groaned loudly, peeking over her coffee mug at the pale youth before her.

"Arty, I swear... if you start on one more lecture this early in the morning again I am going to have to use some of my wrestling moves on you." she threatened grumpily.

The young master Fowl found himself smirking at her smugly as he walked by the counter and to the cabinet, pulling out a tea cup like those of Chinese origin.

It was pale and smooth and looked overly like it came from a set that probably cost a fortune. In this particular case it did.

"I'm doing this for 'your' own good. Considering the threats I get each day..." he began, dipping a bag of Earl Grey into the hot water he had poured into the cup.

Butler still got up earlier than he did, making sure his charge had the water ready. Artemis might have changed drastically, however that did not mean he was capable of handling himself in the kitchen past simple things...

And simple things of course meant things that did not require as much effort and skillas making a sandwhich.

"My own good? It would be towards my own good that you stopped killing all my brain cells with your lectures." Juliet retorted mildly, downing the rest of what Artemis was determined was a putrid liquid.

"I'm sure that cells will be destroyed by something else sooner or later during your day anyway, Juliet, you won't miss them at all." was his soft teasing reply as he walked out the door.

Juliet sat up straight sharply, hearing justa soft mumur after having dozed off. "Eh? What's that? What did you say?"

"Nothing at all." Artemis smiled, his vampire smile had not disappeared as his personality changed. It seemed that smile was in fact genuine.

Juliet wrinkled her nose, effectively keeping herself from shivering, though barely.

"Ha-ha." she grumped. Artemis grinned, this time not the least menacingly. "Indeed."

And with that the boy walked out the door. Boy, though is hardly a suitable name for the Irish prodigy.

He was already 16 years of age and with the intellectual capacity to outsmarta large percentage of the world... about 99.9 of it, as it were.

Several years back that capacity was what had led him on his sudden change of heart from set on criminal to a soft hearted modern Robin Hood with an artistic flair.

His main hobby at the time was to find valuable paintings held by greedy selfish little billionaires, outsmart their security and then send the prized possesion to a chosen museum somewhere in the world, generally where the painting first originated, unless of course there was a danger of it being stolen there.

This of course still put him on the wrong side f the law. Even though his family was said to have gone straight the moment his father returned from being kidnapped in Russia three years prior.

However, Artemis had found that at times 'straight' did not mean straight with the law, but with oneself. He was happy, many other people were happy, and those that were not were billionaires who indeed should be well content with what they had.

And of course, this was all true and factual, as Artemis Fowl tended to be.

"Artermis? We really should be going, your fencing practice begins in less than 10 minutes." a deep voice said, drawing young Arty from his dep thoughts.

Artemis turned slowly towards Butler, shadowed by the bodyguards huge bulk.

"Right.." He murmured, putting the tea cup down. A maid would eventually find it and put it where it belonged.

"I'll be right out." he muttered. Butler nodded, curious for the moment of what it was that his young friend had been thinking about, his expression had been rather deep, and when Artemis Fowl starts to think deep it's either a gray matter or a good matter. Before it had been a black matter.

Happily, the odds had changed in Butler's favour.

It seemed, as though things were usual about the manor as they had been for the last two years since their return trip from Haven.

Butler, unable to resist the simple instinct scanned the room, and glanced out each window before heading out the door to the car.

You could never be too careful. Surpisingly enough, the threats on his way were all invisible. So invisible even Foaly was unable to detect a thing. No one could.

The drive to school was rather silent, as usual. Artemis kept his eyes carefully located on a book he was reading idly while they drove through Dublin, ignoring the increasingly familiar stares of the teenage crowds.

It seemed that their vehicles never really went without notice.

Butler drove up to the school's entrance, where seveal other high rate cars were waiting patiently for their occupants to get out.

Well groomed snobbish boys and girls climbed out, wearing the uniform of St. Jame's Academy for Young Gentlemen and Ladies.

The building was large, resembling what looked like a gothic style manor, made of stone, marble and expensive metal. Everything had to be expensive in high rate academies.

The bodyguard glanced at Artemis as he quietly climbed out of the car, heaving the heavy book on his arm before slipping it into his book bag.

"Da Vinci? Please don't tell me-"

"Later, Butler. I'm sure it will make sense to you later." The boy replied, forcing a weak smile at his old friend. "Do not worry yourself, you know I don't do things on a whim."

Butler cocked an eyebrow at him thoughtfully. "I'm not sure, I've had my suspicions about that for a time now."

Artemis laughed and shut the door, waving him off as he pulled his suit jacket on.

And so, the bodyguard drove off, glancing curiously at the review mirror while his charge walked steadily up the steps to the school, ignoring, or at least pretending to ignore him as he left.

He was planning something, Butler was certain of it. His senses were never wrong... Or, at least not usually.

As it so happened, Artemis was indeed pretending to ignore his friend as he drove away, focusing instead on the stone steps he was carefully climbing towards the school.

His peers walked all around him in little bundles, talking to each other with words he found to be a level too low for students their age.

He hardly thought of these kids as his peers. It was difficult, being a genius. No one of his age really bothered to try and understand him, and Artemis didn't bother to understand others of his age because it was all too obvious that understanding them would be all too easy.

Such were the woes of the teenage prodigy.

Fancy though, as he walked up to the pillars holding up the grand entrance to the damnably _great _institution something caught his attention. It was a soft buzzing at the base of his neck which he felt often, but not as strongly as he was at that very moment.

It was the buzzign that meant someone was watching him... he was so used to the sensation that he hardly ever paid it any attention, in this instance, however, he felt it much more powerfully than usual.

Glancing curiously over his shoulder, he caught a girl out of the corner of his eye looking away sharply and into a laptop she held on her legs as she sat on the stone railings of the staircase. Her typing resumed, much faster than the average teen, and by the lack of use of the backspace key, she was typing correctly as well.

Artemis turned away and continued up the stairs, wearing the smallest of frowns on his face. He had never seen her before... though he didn't presume to know all the faces of all the students at the academy. There were probably 500 or so too many for him to bother memorizing each face.

Amusing and irritating at the same time, though it was, he found that little glance intruiging. Her expression had not changed in the least as his eyes shifted to her, almost as if she didn't care.

Generally he didn't have to sort of an effect on people, and that reaction had implanted several theories in his mind as to why she would be different.

Over all, he found nothing that really mattered, and so continued on towards his fencing practice. He glanced absently at his watch and smirked.

5 minutes left. Butler always worried a little too much.

* * *

"Careful with how you wave that thing, Mr. Kougan- you're going to impale yourself rather than the opponent one day!" Professor Adrey snapped, walking around the two sparring boys.

He was a tall lithe man, with powerful muscles, a tiny gray mustache and an explosive temper that Artemis had a tendency to trigger...though, not as much as Kougan seemed to.

"For the love of god, boy!" The professor snapped, waving a hand for them to stop. He walked over to Kougan and rapped his helmet with the hilt of his sword. "Use your head!"

While the professor went into one of his rants, Artemis pulled off his own helmet, panting slightly from the exertion.

After his episode in the Eleven Wonders underground with the trolls had promised himself to keep in shape, and it had taken him quite a while to find that place in his physique. Fencing seemed to be the answer, as his father was rather proud of his little boyfinally learning to use a weapon.

Still, Artemis wasn't one to like it all too much. He liked to think better than to run, but he wasn't bad either.

A fellow classmate who was standing by huffed slightly beside him. "Kougan's one of our team's better players... I don't understand why the old wart has to go after him all the time." the boy muttered. Artemis blinked slowly, knowing well why the boy was the Professor's target. He was good enough to lead their team to victory against the opposing academies, he had to work him hard.

Instead, he said. "Perhaps with time he will cool off. Or, Kougan will finally loose it and quit... which I presume will have as much as a cooling off affect anyway."

The boy smirked widely and nodded. "I'd like to see Professor Mustache put up with Kougan's parents, they've enough lawers to drag away his teaching license."

"Fowl!" The professor snapped suddenly, dragging Artemis back to the fight. Kougan was walking away, a frown on his pale face, blonde locks of hair shoved angrily out of his way as he settled on a nearby bench to watch.

"Yes?" Artemis replied testily, walking towards the mats. A new opponent had come up, following the Professor as he walked towards him, but his face was hidden by the helmet, and so Artemis didn't bother checking who it was. It didn't matter anyway.

"Keep sparring, Kougan and I are going for a little chat." the professor snapped, turning to leave.

Artemis blinked and then turned to the fighter, strapping his helmet on without a word. He didn't feel like triggering his teacher's temperal bomb that morning for some reason, it wasn't satisfying if Kougan was to be the one to take the full force of it.

Without a word in his direction, the opponent flicked the sword expertly and fell into fighting stance, facing him.

Artemis frowned, disliking this lack of vocabulary, but deciding against a comment. When someone held a blade at you, dull or not, you just didn't bother being even remotely sarcastic.

He came at him without the smallest singal, making Artemis step backwards rapidly, keeping the blows off by mere instinct. Professor Adrey's drills were apperantly coming in handy.

Gasping, Artemis tried, he really did to keep that blade from crashing down on him faster than it should have, but he knew, you could not fight skill with brains when things were moving faster than his mind was able to process.

He was actually hating it everytime he blinked, it ending with him getting jabbed in the chest by that bloody blade.

Grunting, as he felt the dull sword prick his chest for the fifth billioth time in the last three minutes, he felt his sword tumble from his hand and the opposing fighter press the blade near his neck.

If Artemis had had an ego left, he would have thought it was wounded... As it so happened, it felt close to what being completely destroyed felt like.

The gym was silent, even Professor Adrey had stopped snarling in Kougan's direction.

Without a word, and with little regard to Artemis, the figure turned, grabbed his sword, shoved it in his hand and walked away towards the bench.

The Professor stuttered for a moment, and then said.

"McLee, Hastoph, get out there. Fowl, take a break."

Artemis was speechless, and goodness knows that simply does not happen by chance. He hadn't stood a chance, and though he didn't much care for fencing, his brain was still having trouble realizing that he had been beaten... quite badly, as a matter of fact.

He finally unfroze, as he walked towards the bench, and scanned the line of fighters to see who it was that he had been destroyed by.

However, the other boys, and a handful of girls were staring at him in as much shock as he seemed to be. The mystery fighter was gone.

He didn't know what he should think... instead, he didn't.

That was possibly the first time Artemis Fowl decided not to think.

* * *

**_Anyway, there is the first chapter to my experimental fic. Please R&R, I really need to know if I've screwed up bad or not. Advice is great, critique me all you like, no flames, it's not fair to give flames to someone unsure of the story in the first place._**

**_So, yeah... Lots of reviews! Thank ya!_**

**_- White Scribe_**


	2. Chapter 2

_Wow...well, the hits are high. In two days I had 'bout 100 people read it. Not much I guess, but it seems a lot to me, cuz I wrote that particular chapter in a really bad state and I think it sucks. (first chapter, I mean.) _

_Thanks to my fewreviewers, for bothering to review... O.o as it seems no one else bothered, psh to you all._

_Anyway, I have a vague plot set for this, which is odd for me, I generally write things with a lack of plot, but Artemis is a complicated fellow, so I had to come up with something or it woulda sucked worse than it already does. _

_Kazinoki: Thanks for the heads up 'bout the typos and grammar, I shall try not to do it so much. Hopefully I can get someone to edit this stuff before I post it... I've yet to ask however, so no promises._

_Zarroc: I don't actually know if it was the girl or not, I had this vague idea that it was, for a while...then my mind decided it wasn't...and now i don't know. Soo...yeah...maybe it'll be answered this chapter? _

_lightninglisa: Thankya! maybe i can keep it up if i work hard...eh?_

_Anna's pastime: Oh, lol, thanks, I'm glad you liked it! Monologue is fun to write, lets you sink into character... as for the fighter... I'm not sure, lol, cuz i dunno who you think it is!_

_Dark Empress of Eternity: Heh, I guess so... I dunno. I'm not sure it's going to have a lot with world domination and so on... I've a vague plot, but I'm not giving any spoilers away._

_Quick note: I am on about 7 cups of strong coffee right now, because my total amount of sleep in the two days has been 4 hours... forgive typos, grammar and any other idiot things i might do while writing, I will look over this when i actually have a mind to comprehend it._

* * *

CHAPTER I: **STUMPED**

It is a well known fact that as soon as a child hits the adolescent years, eventually such things like character developement, muscle memory, self steem and work habits are established for the rest of the youth's life.

Also, with pubirty come the physical establishments of a body switching from child to adult. Such changes are well known to hinder, confuse, switch and damage the way a child would normally act. Mood swings caused by hormonal surges is the most common reason behind it. And absolutely no one has the right to say that they hold an immunity to that side of the puberty phase.

Of course, this has been something that Artemis wrestled with for nearly a year after the Opal Deception. He had in his head the outmost confidence that he could create something to make him immune to such trivial bothersome things such as mood swings during his stronger, later to come years in puberty. However, Butlet, Holly and even Foaly had posed objections to such an idea.

To Butler it seemed skipping over such a part of human life was something that could leave Artemis with a blank to the normality of that stage. Not to mention, Artemis already seemed to be living an abnormal teenage phase anyway.

Holly had snickered and rather haughtily laughed (to his shock) saying that she was surprised he was unable to handle himself in a normal human situation. Overall, she had been amused by his fear of it.

Foaly had had the most relevant statement, in Artemis's point of view. He had rather factually described the many psychological tests and character building expiriences that such chemical reactions put a human in, making the mood swings a rather helpful part in later years.

So, Artemis had rather moodily accepted the idea that he was going to be going through those rather bothersome swings and that he would have to develope a rather tuned sense of control... and a way of realizing when it was a mood swing or not.

As it so happened, he was having trouble at that moment in detecting the slight change of outlook his day had taken at the simple beating he had gained in the gym, and such was his self centered view that he didn't notice also that it was just a teenage thing. After all, 'just' is hardly a word Artemis was used to describing his circumstances.

Artemis was still in a bit of a mood. It wasn't a good mood at all, and he was well known for having the least likeable 'good' mood around.

So, you can probably guess how popular his 'bad' moods were. In this case, it wasn't really a bad mood, oh no, this was a lot more important, quite a bit deeper than most bad moods. Albeit, it was also a childish one.

He had thought and thought soon after his brain had over come the shock of being annihiliated. It wasn't that big of a problem, however he was dully aware of how much his developing ego and self steem had been affected by such a show of... inadequate capability on his part, something he was not used to showing.

Despite having been quite the weaker player in all his fairy adventures before, he had pulled through. And one way or the other he may have been weaker when it came to physical tests, but otherwise he was a worthy opponent.

Right up to that morning, at least.

With a scowl on his face and a stride that meant business he walked into his next classroom, being carefully avoided by even those who thought they were close enough to at least say hi to the powerful young man.

Instead, any peers that were about quickly made themselves scarce, side stepping out of the way and giving him all the possible room a psychopath would need in order to keep himself from harming anything organic.

The room was still empty, as it seemed he was early for his first academic class. Girls and boys sat and talked in different corners of the room, glancing catiously in the direction of the teen vampire before going back to their conversation, avoiding eye contanct and carefully keeping themselves from shivering.

When he had that look on his face, you'd think you were the smallest most insignificant worm on the planet...

Which, it seemed was exactly what he thought of most people when he had that look on his face. Some things looked to be unable to change.

The walls were made of a wine colored wood that rose up much higher than Artemis thought needed for such an architectural structure. During this particular class (which was physics) he had spent his time drawing out the correct way to build that particular wing of the school, without such a waste of material, energy and money.

He had considered dropping the note off at the architect's office when he figured out who it was, but had decided it was too low a blow. Butler and Holly would be stern about their reactions if they found out, and with Foaly on monitors under ground that was bound to happen.

So much for the claimed liberty of friendship...

The other side of the room was made of several tall windows seperated by decorative pillars of stone looking out to the school court yard which was centered off by a giant fountain which at the time was spouting greenish looking water... not at all enviting.

The sun was out, and the sky was blue and all this passed right over the genuis's head and out the window for all he cared.

Instead he sat down at the nearest desk and concentrated on not thinking about the little incident in the gymnasium. This of course led to more thinking of the incident...

Needless to say, Artemis was beginning to feel a bit childish. It had affected his ego, yes, but he was mature and intelligent enoughto realize that such a thing could be brushed off if he paid it no mind. However, the thoughts still lingered, and there was something bothering him, at the corner of his mind...

It was like a splinter, festering and irritating him.

This did not improve his mood.

He looked up, seeing a shadow fall across his desk. In front of him stood the girl he had seen sitting on the staircase railing... the one that had been carelessly studying him.

He blinked mildly at her and leaned back, to get a better look.

She was small, for someone supposed of her age, and her eyes were so big that it made her look all the younger. They were a deep gray and cold... He noted that quickly, having seen that coldness before, though not directed at him. Butler had that coldness...

Her face was small and delicate, shaped very much like what most people called a pretty face. She had a perfect little nose and lush kissable lips. Her skin was pale as ivory, making her look ghostly, and it contradicted so harshly with her dark waving locks of black hair that for once Artemis felt like perhaps his skin tone wasn't so bad after all.

She didn't seem to be smiling, and her eyes weren't very friendly, but she wasn't posing a threat, other than simply standing there, waiting.

"May I help you?" Artemis asked after a long moment of silence. he detected that she too had been studying him at that moment. Her eyes flickered back to his face.

"I would suppose my sources are right and that you are Artemis Fowl the Second, correct?" she asked, her voice light as a feather over the air, almost like a whisper, but also heavily accented.

Artemis frowned, getting the feeling that she was shy, though she didn't look it.

"Yes. May I add, staring at someone for disturbing periods of time is hardly a way to start a conversation." he stated rather harshly, not the least bit in the mood for one of the fangirl conversations he had had the last few months. He actually had what most boys called a dream. A fangirl group following him around... It was irritating at best, from his perspective.

A smirk slowly spread over her features, and Artemis frowned, having not seen that reaction coming.

"Ah, sarcastic as expected." she replied, her posture loosening, more comfortable in her space.

His frown only deepened. "What do you want?" he asked instead, not bothering to follow up on an obvious lead she had placed there.

"I waited for you to say something to see what a genuis would decide to use to reply to silence." she said calmly, her arms folding comfortably across her chest.

"It did not seem all too clever, to be honest."

He glared at her thoughtfully, wondering where she had acquired such information. He certainly didn't go around telling people of his I.Q.

Most people didn't even know, as a matter of fact.

"You have yet to answer my question." he retorted. The girl sighed and examined her nails, paying him no attention. "You are not capable of a conversation either. Social abilities are low, are they not?" she asked instead, making him stare.

So, he wasn't a great communicator. It wasn't his fault, most people didn't understand half the words he used anyway.

"It seems you're incapable of proccessing information as well." he snapped instead, his temper rising, something that did not happen every day.

She laughed. "Excellent point, obvious... of course." she added, as if not really impressed. She extended her hand.

"My name is Crystal Lord." she said more peacefully. "I meant no offence, my curiousity is strong." she explained.

For a moment, Artemis didn't know what to do. Everything Butler had told him about odd people who switched from foe to friend went against taking her hand... But he was in school for god's sake and she was his age if not younger.

Sighing, he took her hand and shook, knowingly not being blown to bits by the teenage girl.

"So strong that politeness is not so...important?" he enquired, still a bit on the defensive. She smirked, and it surprised him, having seen such a smile somewhere before...

The mirror.

"Oh yes." she replied simply, stepping back a bit.

He thought about her name a moment, locating her accent in all the facts that were ricocheting in his head.

"Lord? As in Mikkael Lord?" he enquired, finding the name close to what he remembered to be an important business associate of his father's from England... or had been, before his family had decided to go straight.

This was not good company.

Crystal's smile widened, and for some reason Artemis was sure that that was not a good thing.

"Why yes, Mikkael Lord is my father." she replied.

Artemis's thoughts flowed quickly. He could see no wires on her, but he couldn't be sure. He couldn't remember what his father had said of the ending verdict concerning the dealings with the Lord family. However, that left Artemis to deal with the supposed daughter on a basis of no information.

It was a possibility that she was lying, and that he was in danger of some sort of aggressive attack...

Keeping calm as ever, he leaned back against his desk. The fact that she knewof his I.Q was actually surprising and a little unnerving. That was always his ace before. Now it was common knowledge in the conversation...

"What are you doing so far from home?" he asked, recalling Artemis Senior mentioning the over protective way that Mikkael cared for his children.

Crystal smiled again, doing nothing to lighten the atmosphere. "Father is currently paying a visit to your parents in Paris. Business, I would presume." she explained, examining her nails thoughtfully once more. The information made Artemis freeze.

Paying a visit? What sort of visit? And what business? His father had not worked on anything with the Mikkael's for the last year...

"I'd heard of you before and found it curious that father would hold you at such high esteem, so I researched you." she continued, urged on by his quiet listening.

"You 'researched' me?" he asked, the concept weighing heavily on his mind.

"Oh, it wasn't easy at all, let me assure you." she said, quieting his confused thoughts.

_She has connections to my family. That's probably where she got a trail to follow. Most of the world doesn't know I exist, and if they do they don't care... She's the only one with the resources to find me._

He relaxed...slightly.

"You've still to answer my question." he muttered impatiently. Crystal smiled again. "You noticed. Good." she said, as if she had been testing him.

"I'm here because father decided that if your parents and mine are to be associates again then we'd better move closer." she explained. "We moved to the outskirts of Dublin, not too far from your home. I didn't feel like going to a boarding school so, father had me come here."

Artemis froze. "You're a new student." he stated. Crystal nodded. "Yes."

For some reason, he didn't feel like that was a good thing. She had an attitude that made him feel... inadequate, yet again.

That was the second time in less than an hour, something was horribly wrong. He stared at her a moment, as if processing the information, instead he studied her face, thinking...

There was something a bit too smart in her eyes. It was giving him a sinking feeling.

A bell rang, cutting thoughts off and making Crystal turn to look as the Professor walz in late, muttering under his breath. She gave Artemis one more thoughtful look and went to sit down, walking gracefully and sitting down in complete silence, looking for all the world like an innocent porcelain doll.

Somehow, it was doubtful she was so innocent at all.

* * *

The day went by quickly, as time tends to do when you're deep in thought for most of it.

Artemis was in a hurry to get home, and as a matter of fact in a hurry to call Butler because it seemed a necessity to tell him that there was someone he needed him to research.

It was possibly the first time that Artemis had researched someone his age that wasn't dead...

By the third class of the morning, and having lost sight of Crystal somewhere in the hall, he decided he didn't want to wait any longer and asked the professor patiently if he could be excused from class for a moment.

As he made his escape, he quickly slipped his cell phone out of his pocket, speed dialing Butler's own cell... Hopefully Butler wouldn't get utterly paranoid at the fact that Artemis was calling from school, during class hours.

"Artemis? Are you all right? What's the matter?" Butler's voice said gruffly, as soon as the machine stopped ringing.

The Fowl boy cocked an eyebrow, walking down the hallway of the school, his eyes open for any bothersome Professors walking about.

"I'm all right, old friend. No need to panic. I've just a favour I need you to do for me." he continued, making his way to the library.

Butler gave a grunt. "I'm not going to help you cheat, if that's what you're planning." he said, though it was a sarcastic statement.

The boy smirked and shook his head. "I could probably take the ending exams today and pass without any trouble, I don't need help." he replied, grabbing the door to the library.

"What I do need is for you to research someone. There should be some information on the web, however, if not there should be quite a bit of it in Father's study."

At this, Butler grew quiet and very serious. "I have no real interest in going into your father's private study, Artemis..." he said slowly.

Artemis sighed, having seen this coming. "Butler, there is a girl here who came up to me using vocabulary and mental skills that only I am used to hearing from..well..me. She claims to be a Crystal Lord, daughter of Mikkael Lord, past associate of my father's. She also claims they are working together again. However, father has said to go straight... This is making minimum sense and I have my doubts about this girl. There's something odd."

He heard, to his great relief, papers being shuffled and keys being pressed.

"I'm looking it up... Mikkael Angelo Lord... 42 years of age, holds a large fortune well in the billions...His family has been persecuted by the police consistently for the last couple hundred years. Wow, Artemis this sounds like your family."

Artemis frowned, realizing that wasn't a good thing. "I know.."

"He has a daughter, age 18 name is- wait." Butler stopped, as did Artemis out of instinct, right at the Library doorway, his back to it.

"He 'had' a daughter age 18 named Amelia. She died last year, kidnapped..." The bodyguard said gruffly, not liking the route this was taking.

Frowning, the boy shrugged off the uncomfortable memory of Crystal's cold gray 'sad' eyes.

"Right... any other children?"

"Yes, 16 year old Crystal Elizabeth Lord. There is absolutely no information on the girl past that."

Artemis stopped again, pausing by the library computers. "Nothing at all?" he enquired, plopping down on a chair and quickly typing in her name on the web.

"Nothing. She's a ghost in the family. There is information on the cousins, for god's sake... It's almost like they forgot her."

"Or she wanted to be forgotten. I have a bad feeling..." he murmured softly.

"I'll call your parents and check up on them, all right? Juliet is with them at the moment too, so I figure if there is a problem she'll at least figure a way to let us know. Perhaps you should contact Holly and get her to ask Foaly for a little assistance. We don't want to be caught off guard." Butler continued, getting into defensive mode.

Artemis thought about it for a moment, then sighed. "I will when I get back home. I don't want to make this bigger than it is. It is a possibility that what she says is true, however it still bothers me... Something isn't fitting in." he frowned.

"Well, starting with her older sister is dead." Butler allowed himself to point out.

"Yes. All right, old friend. Thank you for your help. I will call if anything else comes up." he mumbled, feeling a bit out of sorts.

"All right. Do not worry yourself, Artemis. It does nothing."

"Yes... Goodbye." Silently, he hung up and turned his attention to the screen, which had as a matter of fact, turned up blank.

"What are you looking for, Master Fowl?" a voice asked behind him, making him spin around in surprise.

Crystal stood there, her hands behind her back, blinking at him curiously. His hand drifted to the esc. key and pressed it quickly, though he knew she had seen.

"Apperantly nothing, as it seems there was no information." he replied.

Crystal smiled knowingly. "Ah. Yes... Can't get much on me there." she explained. She reached towards him, in her hand a miniature disk.

"I figured you would want to read something." she said calmly, while Artemis hesitated to take the disk.

Finally, he reached out and took it, not bothering to look at it, but concentrating on her again.

"I mean no harm, I assure you." she nodded. He noted again a sad glitter to her eyes at that moment, one he had failed to notice before.

"It's fine.' he managed to say.

"Good. You'd better hurry back to class, I heard Professor Albeny is beginning to get teased for letting you go... you've been gone a very long time." she informed him, before turning away and heading out the door.

He frowned. How did she know he had Albeny at that moment...?

Grumbling to himself, he stood and walked out, determined to get an answer to that question, but found the hall empty on both sides. She was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

**_So, there is the first chapter...sorta, I think it was the second, maybe, I can't recall. Oh well. _**

**_I hope you guys like it. Please R&R. And wouldn't you know it, I didn't figure out who the fighter was in this chapter... Maybe next time?_**

**_Give advice, give comments, no flames please!_**

**_-White Scribe_**


	3. Not an Update: Author Note

_Hey, everyone. _

_Got a review, saying I was writing a bit Mary Sue...scared me to death, cuz I didn't even see it coming..._

_If anyone else thinks so too, please let me know, cuz that means I gotta make some drastic changes. Thanks to Dark Empress of Eternity for bringing that to light...i really honestly didn't see it. It's actually not a Mary Sue at all, cuz...to be honest, I have a Mary Sue character already, and I'm well aware that it's a Mary Sue, she's a complete opposite to Crystal._

_Crystal is also a two year old character I've written many times before. In my original she's demon possessed, she's also has a high high I.Q her father is indeed Mikkael Lord, she 'is' rich, however not on the other side of the law._

_I brought her into this story because I figured she was the most likely to pose Artemis a challange, perhaps that wasn't so great an idea. Depending on how the story goes, Crystal could be seen as a bad girl for the most part, though her story in Artemis's world is deeper than that, and i guess near the end she could be seen as other than enemy..._

_I'm thinking that I will have to post a new chapter soon, the next chapter (after I revised) looks and feels less capable of making her a Mary Sue... _

_I know this prolly sounds like I'm making a big deal of it, but I was really caught off guard by the statement and I want to make sure that is not what I'm doing.I've complained to other writers for writing Mary Sue and I feel it's unfair for me to do so as well._

_Please R&R what you all think of the statement, it would make my level of change in Crystal either more drastic or less so. _

_-White Scribe_


	4. Chapter 3

_Hallo hallo!_

_Dark Empress of Eternity: Eh? whatcha talking about! I agreed with you, just didn't see the damage till you pointed it out, which is why I ask for advice at the end of each chapter, so no harm done, still continuing, cept with more care to show Crystal clearly._

_Anna's Pastime: lol, all righty, i'll take a deep breath and chill, I guess. writing's my little passion so i was really really freaking out, couldn't believe that i didn't see any Mary Sue in there at all. after i re read i was like. "Oh...CRAP." But I guess it's not as bad as I first thought. even Dar Empress said it was a minor thing, so no big deal._

_Anyway, thanks for reviewing and giving your opinion, it does help._

_

* * *

_

CHAPTER II: **Awkward Meetings**

You would presume that such a meeting would leave a teenage boy at a loss for resources and ideas. This of course would happen if the teenage boy was a normal one, someone who did nothing more than wear away his thumbs on game systems and talk about rather dull uninteresting things to friends who were equally dull and did nothing more than wear away their thumbs on other game systems...

Artemis however, had other plans. As soon as the bell rang for the midday break, he walked purposefully towards the office with the a mind set on signing out and making his way back home.

Butler had not called back, as he was unable to during school hours, so little Arty was feeling a bit unsettled about the 'visit' Mikkael was supposed to have made to his parents in Paris.

Silently, he addressed the secretary sitting in an expensive yet uncomfortable looking office desk, hidden by towers of paper and files.

After a good 30 seconds of silence, he cleared his throat, making the aged woman finally look up past her spectacles, squinting mildly.

"Yes, young man? How can I help you?" she croaked, her voice sounding as fried as if she had taken an electric cord and stuffed it into her larynx.

Artemis resisted the urge to clear his throat again at the evil feeling wadding in his respiratory tube and said instead. "Uh.. I am not feeling very well and would like to contact my guardian in order to return home." he said slowly, trying not to focus on the woman's trembling earings hanging from long stretched earlobes.

"Oh." she said, breaking into a smile that desperately needed a dentist. "What a lovely vocabulary you have! Here's the phone, young man. Dial and then pass the phone to me so I know it's an adult, all right?" she said, her voice sounding like it might die at any moment.

Smiling hypocritically, Artemis took the phone and dialed, wondering how in god's name the woman managed to get the job, then again considering her age she probably got the job 20 years earlier when she didn't look like a mummified wad of wrinkles attempting to pass as a 40 year old.

The phone rang and on the second ring Butler picked up. "Hello?" he asked, sounding puzzled. No one other than the Fowl family had his number and they all had caller id on his cell.

"Butler, it's me. I need you to pick me up in about ten minutes." Artemis said quickly, seeing Crystal pass by the office, her eyes locked on a book in her hands.

He frowned, noting that she was walking with someone...

"Hurry up, all right? I have to go. Talk to the secretary. I'll see you in a moment." rather rudely, he handed the phone over to the secretary, making her cry out in surprise before dropping the thing.

"Oh! Oh my...uh...young man! Young man, wait!" she called, but Artemis was gone, out the door and into the stream of students, his eyes focused on the small girl walking along, a boy stood beside her. Every once in a while Artemis saw her glance in her companion's direction and say something, but he was too far to hear.

Frowning, and figuring he might as well he crept closer, pulling out his cell phone in case he had to lower his eyes to escape explaining why he was so close.

It seemed however that Crystal had no idea he was listening or watching, she was walking slowly, being passed by the other students more in a rush, earning herself heaps of evil glares that slid right off as she met their glare with calm gray eyes.

"Did you meet him then?" she said, glancing at the boy beside her.

He was taller than her, but not by much. He was looking to his right, light brown hair ruffled lightly by the wind of the courtyard that was beside the corridor.

"Yes." he replied, his voice equally accented as hers. "I suppose you could say that."

"I'd like to know what you mean." Crystal demanded, though calmly, closing her book with a snap. Artemis noted with a sinking feeling that it was a Da Vinci book...the one he had.

"I didn't actually say anything to him." he murmured, turning up the color of his black jacket slightly. He wore it loosely over his uniform, but even so it was a break of the school code... It was a surprise he still had it.

"Hmm." Crystal humed, sounding a bit disappointed. "I was counting on having some input on his conversation with you." she pointed out softly, as if she didn't want to offend the boy.

He in turn, glanced over at her, his face not the least bit offended... He looked almost like he had come out of a day dream.

"I am sorry..."

"What? No, don't apologize... it's all right.' she stuttered, then added. "I think I have all I need anyway."

"You're a horrible liar, dear Crystal." the boy said, a smile in his voice. The girl smirked and looked down at her book again, opening to the page she had left off on.

"I suppose... I'm an honest person at heart." she replied.

They stopped. Artemis turned around sharply and slipped behind a pillar, his back to it, listening intently.

"That, I know is true." the boy replied quietly. For a second they were silent, and Artemis knew she had nothing to reply with.

Then she said. "I'd appreciate it if you spoke to him next time, all right? I'm sure he'll make a link."

Her voice was wavering, uncertain, grasping to bring the conversation back to what was normal...

"Of course. I'll make sure I do so." the boy replied quietly, and their voices faded as they began to walk again.

Artemis frowned. Had he seen the boy? Had he met him at all?

He froze,a flash back memory of the sparring session in the morning coming to mind. It was not the least bit comforting to know he had indeed met him.

Sighing softly, he pushed from the pillar, catching sight of Butler driving into the parking lot.

With a growing dislike for the pair of cocky peers, he skipped down the steps, slipping his book bag over his shoulder before taking the car door.

"Artemis." Butler stated thinly as soon as he opened the door. "What happened? Where did you go?"

The boy restrained himself from grunting in reply and slipped into the car, putting his bag on the side.

"I saw her walking by talking to someone. Information on this girl is valuable, considering it's hard enough to come by. I had to get some first hand." he replied simply, settling back down and turning to look at his body guard, who was frowning slightly.

"You eavesdropped on her? Isn't that a little...?" Butler drifted off, trying to find the word.

"Wrong? Illigal? Rude?" Artemis provided thinly, smirking at the idea that Butler would tell him off for doing something that didn't seem right.

"No." his bodyguard murmured, rubbing his chin. "Paranoid, is more what I was thinking."

Artemis shot him a look and said calmly. "Nonsense. Now, if you please, I've to call Holly."

Butler smirked and nodded. "Right." he pulled out of the parking lot, and then began slowly.

"I called Juliet..."

Artemis drew back to him, dragging himself from his thoughts. "Oh? What did she say?"

"That, Mikkael did visit your parents." he murmured, watching the road with care.

Artemis stared. "And?" he asked impatiently.

Butler glanced at him, the word he had previously used coming to mind.

_Paranoid._

"They're fine. He came, they went into your father's office in the hotel. They talked for about an hour, he came out, they came out and happily told her they were going to go to the spa at the other end of town..." He glanced at Artemis again.

"If there was any danger, I'm pretty sure Juliet would notice. She may not be me, but she is a Butler." he stated.

Artemis frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose in thought. "This is an interesting developement." He murmured.

"What if the girl is really just being friendly?" Butler enquired, giving him a slight look.

"You're not great at knowing what a friendly approach is, Artemis."

"I beg your pardon?" the boy snapped, turning to look at him sharply. "I know more knowledge on body movement and lying twitches than most counsellors do. I know enough." he stated, recalling all the books and several medical studies he had passed with flying colors.

"All right then, Artemis." the giant man muttered. It was an odd feeling to know that for the first time, Artemis didn't seem to be on top of things. Something had happened, he was sure. However, finding out what would be easier said than done.

"May I ask one question?" Butler said, attempting one way or the other to find the truth.

Artemis glanced at him and nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully all the while.

"What did she do, to make you so nervous?" he asked quietly.

The boy slowly turned to look at him, for all the world the calmest he had ever been.

"What do you mean?"

Butler sighed. "Never mind it..."

So Artemis didn't.

* * *

"Hm. It's odd, I'll admit." Holly murmured, her face a bit fuzzy from the weak connection.

Artemis leaned back on his chair. "I have a sinking feeling about this, as a matter of fact." he murmured. "She's planning something. That's what the impression is at least. And unless I have all the facts wrong, which is doubtful, then they're a danger to me."

Holly cocked her head. "I'm not so sure, Artemis. What if she's just curious? She said her curiousity is strong."

The irish lad sighed deeply and stood, feeling energy running through his body the way he did not know to handle.

"I know...and yet, I don't."

"You're going by feeling then? By vibe?' Holly enquired, cocking her head at the screen. Artemis let out a breath and admitted rather with a lot of difficulty.

"Yes..."

"Well then, go by instinct. What's the point of arguing it over?" She asked, making it sound like it was plain and simple.

Artemis let out a frustrated sound. "No, it's not like that Holly. My mind is denying that anything is wrong. My parents aren't in danger, and she's a girl for goodness sake-"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!" Holly cried out sharply, eyes narrowing.

Artemis waved a hand. "I meant no offense, you know that. It's just... there's no reason for me to be unsettled or the least bit rivaled by her-"

"Yet you are." Holly put in, with a tad too smug a voice. She was enjoying the show. How vexing.

Artemis gave her a look that generally made people wince. She laughed it off.

"I think it might be her intelligence. By the way you reply the conversation, she kept you on your toes." Holly smirked. He had to withold rolling his eyes.

"Holly, that was hardly a conversation to test my mental abilities." he stated in a dead tone.

"Ah, but it made you think, didn't it? It confused, worried and made you think, something most people don't do." she stated.

"You do." Artemis pointed out sharply.

Holly laughed. "Oh, but I'm special, Mud Boy." she grinned. "I'm real speacial."

"Really special, Holly. If you're trying to be proud keep close to proper grammar." he muttered, bursting her bubble.

"Okay, mud boy. What else am I supposed to say? There's no other choices." Holly retorted, getting back to the point. Play time was over, it seemed.

"I know there are no other choices..." Artemis groaned, runninga hand through his hair. Unknowingly, he was doing something that Artemis Fowl the senior often tended to do when stressed.

"Then choose one." Holly snapped, deciding to point out yet another obvious thing.

Artemis looked up and said rather calmly. "I need more information in order to make a smart choice."

"Oh no, I am 'not' asking Foaly for a favour again. Last time he did, he depleted my pay check. All of it went to carrots and bettle juice!" she cried.

Finally letting himself roll his eyes Artemis sighed. "I'll buy it for him. I just need more information on her."

"All right all right." Holly mumbled weakly, typing something on the gnomish keys.

"I'll send you the information later then. I'd better go. I've a client coming in soon. I've to check out the case.

"All right. I'll talk to you later, Holly. Thanks."

"No problem, Mud boy. And stop being paranoid. It's not your style." with that last sentence the screen went dead.

Two paranoids in one day, by that point, he was starting to believe it.

Sighing, he pushed himself up, clicking a key on the keyboard as he did so.

The screen flickered to life again, showing camera shots of the manor... and a car driving in through the entrance.

"What..." he frowned, turning to the door and starting out.

He pressed an intercom key by the door, hearing his voice over the speakers all over the house.

"Butler, who is that coming into the grounds?" he enquired, and started out into the hallway, heading for the main foyer.

Butler's voice came over the speakers, answering quickly. "It's Master and Mistress Fowl, Artemis. They're home early."

Artemis sighed and opened the door to the house, looking out to the car as his father and mother climbed out, laughing, happy...

Nothing seemed to be the matter, however, Artemis was determined to figure out what might be going on. The feeling had yet to fade, despite all the evidence against it.

It wasn't often Artemis went by feeling. However, this was beginning to test him. He would not be defeated.

"Arty, darling! You're home early as well!" Angeline Fowl cried, coming up the steps to the door.

"Mother." Artemis replied warmly, returning the hug that she threw around him.

"Hello, son." Artemis senior said, patting him quickly on the back. "A lot of work, had to come back early." he replied, giving his son a smile.

Angeline took his arm as they walked towards the Parlor, laughing and talking.

"Oh, Paris was fabulous as always, Arty. The hotel was a wonder. I'm never going back to that other one again. The service was so much better."

Artemis walked beside them, studying for any signs of distress, of lying even, but none showed. Nothing even remotely so.

"I heard you had a business meeting there, father." Artemis put in, feeling a bit hasty at his doing so, but not wanting to waste any more time.

His parents blinked at him in slight surprise, though it was genuine and with no hidden emotions behind it.

"Always on top of everything, aren't you Artemis." his father smiled, nodding knowingly. "It's a good trait. And yes I did. Mikkael Lord, if you recall... How did you find out?"

They sat down on the sofas, a maid rushed in to put a silver tray down with lemonade and rushed right back out.

"His daughter approached me at school this morning.' Artemis explained calmly, studying the table thoughtfully. "She mentioned it."

"Oh, Crystal?" Angeline asked, taking a sip of her lemonade. "She's a darling, so sweet and gentle..." she murmured.

Artemis blinked at his mother, confused. Was it possible they were talking about a different person?

"Crystal?" he asked casually. Angeline laughed. "Well of course. If you spoke to her you must know! She's a darling. It's like she came out of a story book, she looks adorable, and her mannerisms are so sweet. It's so sad that she had to loose her older sister..."

Artemis Senior glanced sharply at his wife. Angeline gasped and put a hand to her mouth, looking like she had dropped something expensive. "Oh...my, I've gone and said too much."

Artemis looked calmly back at his father, who seemed to be in control of the situation. It was obvious he expected an answer to the little scene, and Artemis senior was not dense enough to try to cover it up.

He sighed. "Ah, Arty. Always knowing too much..." he muttered, taking a deep drink of the lemonade in his hand. Artemis the second had yet to touch his own.

"The Lord family has gone through a recent tragedy. Three months ago their eldest child was abducted and killed. Crystal witnessed the murder." He explained quietly, looking down at the cup.

"Mikkael is a dear friend of mine. While I was...gone...two years ago, he was safe keeping all of my business with him and with other companies. If anything, he is the only one outside of family who thought I would return...' he murmured.

Artemis carefully covered up his surprise. He had not looked deep into the things that his father did, at the order of his mother. So long as what he was doing was left untouched, Artemis the second could also go untouched and unscarred.

"When I came back and I cut off all my dealings with him, it was a blow to his economic status, however he was able to pull though, and in the last year seems to have stabalized his finances. He decided to follow our route as well, and joined me in cleaner business."

Artemis couldn't help but let his eyes widen in shock. So Crystal's family had been in contact with his for several years now and he had paid it no mind... However, it seemed for those several years she had been carefully studying him from afar. This was something he had not seen coming at all

Immidetly, thoughts of his fairy friends came to mind and he worried that she might know something... That that might be what she was so curious about.

Panicking, though in silence he looked steadily at his father, waiting.

"As you no doubt guessed, that did not go down well with those who he worked with, and they decided to take his daughter. They were initially going for Crystal... They took her sister intead. When the poliec refused to let Mikkael pay the price they asked for, they shot her."

Silence levelled over the room, as Angeline stared at her lemonade sadly.

"They held her hostage in her own home, and made Crystal watch...as a matter of fact, Mikkael says that the police have informed him that it's likely they forced her to pull the trigger... They might have drugged her. However, Crystal hasn't spoken of the matter at all since they got her out."

Artemis Senior looked at his son steadily. "She's a very fragile child, Artemis."

"Why are they here...?" Artemis asked instead, looking away. He recalled being rather harsh to her, and her smile...

"They have moved closer, in hopes of leaving behind the memory, and Mikkael was hoping that you might be able to reach out to his daughter a bit... You are the same age, and she's posed a rather insistent curiousity on you since he mentioned you three years ago. Had it not been for dangerous circumstances, I think you two would have met long ago."

Angeline nodded, and said. "I think it would be good for you to have a friend your age, Artemis."

The boy looked back and forth between his parents, trying to find something to day. But all that came was either rude or silly, so instead he said.

"All right." though he didn't mean it at all.

Angeline smiled and clapped her hands happily. "Wondeful! We can have them for dinner tomorrow evening then!"

Artemis felt his stomach drop. "Yes, great." he murmured, frowning at the table.

This was not at all what he expected.

* * *

_This chappy was short and just a shove towards the plot. I am for forgiveness if it was too choppy, or boring or just plain bad. _

_Please R&R, give your opinion advice and all that is nice- stay away from flames, cuz they burn!_

_Thank ya all!_

_-White Scribe_


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter III: **Polite Talk**

Artemis woke to stare up at the polished wood ceiling of his rooms, a frown firmly planted over his features. He had not slept well, and his face showed it. Shadows had formed under his eyes and his face was a tad paler than usual...

With a soft sound that might have been an 'urrrggg' of dislike, he pushed himself out of bed and headed for the shower, his frown still attatched to his face.

His mind had refused to allow him to stop thinking about the girl who his mother said was pitiful and sweet and who he had known to be rather rude... and intelligent enough to make his mind actually scramble for answers. Such things did not happen to Artemis Fowl, and so the young man was having some trouble in figuring how to deal with it.

Of course the young sir refused to admit this to himself, telling himself over and over that it was simply his curiousity being irritating... she was interesting after all, no one made him think that way.

The morning came and went so fast that he had hardly enough time to realize he was heading off to school.

His mother gave him a kiss goodbye, Juliet blinked at him for having said nothing about her coffee and Butler cocked an eyebrow at his empty hands as they drove to the school.

"Artemis... are you all right?" He asked gruffly as they drove into the school parking lot. The young man stiffened ever so slightly and glanced in the direction of his friend and servant, blinking mildly. It took him a grand total of three seconds to pull himself together.

"Whatever are you talking about, Butler?"

"You don't look well... are you sick?"

"Not that I would be aware of." Artemis replied, blinking again at him and turning fully around to face him as he got out of the car. Butler noted that he seemed more pulled together at that moment...even if his tie was a bit loose and his uniform coat was still thrown on the car seat rather than carefully over his shoulder as usual.

"You are sure?" Butler asked again and Artemis stared at him stonily for a long moment.

Butler sighed. "Right... I'll be off then."

"Yes. I will see you this afternoon, Butler." Artemis replied quietly, taking his uniform coat (which he had almost forgotten) and closed the door with a soft snap.

Butler gave him one more long look before driving off, leaving him standing at the steps.

As soon as Butler was out of the parking lot, Artemis sighed and let his shoulders droop just a little bit before grabbing his coat and throwing it on.

He heard her long before she had actually gotten close enough to say a word, and for that he was glad... He had not lost all his abilities, it seemed.

He turned slowly and as he did said. "It's not polite to sneak up on people, Miss Lord."

Crystal blinked at him slowly, standing just behind him. "I do not do it on purpose. It's a nasty habit I have." she replied, a slow smirk spreading over her face.

And now as Artemis looked carefully at her he could tell indeed that she had a sad look upon her, and looked much more fragile for it than before.

"Perhaps you should try ridding of it." He said, coming back to the conversation. He bent down to pick up his book bag and slung it over his shoulder carefully, starting up the stairs. She followed in silence.

"A friend of mine told me it was a good thing to have..." she mumbled, and he was surprised.

Deciding he was in fact too tired to play any mind games at the time being he turned and looked seriously at her, which made her blink back in slight surprise.

"Why is it your attitude towards me has changed from yesterday to today, Miss Lord?'

They stood in silence, for she did not react and then very slowly she murmured. "Father said we are to go to dinner at your home this evening. He informed me last night..."

Artemis' eyes narrowed slightly and he turned fully around on the step to look down at her, since she was one below and he was taller than her either way.

"And how does this affect your character?"

"I did not think I was being hostile to you yesterday." Crystal snapped, hearing the irritation in his voice and getting defensive for it. Artemis smirked. She was not in control this day, though why that was he could not figure.

"Not hostile... there's little you can do that would make it look hostile." he said primly, and her eyes flamed. "Oh?"

"Yes, you're simply too small for such things." His actual thought had been that she was too cute and cuddly too look hostile but that was somehow not what he wanted to end up saying...

Crystal glared death at him steadily, and he felt rather like he was glaring at himself, for her eyes were cold enough that he felt it like a chilly breeze.

"I do hope you are not challanging me." she said very quietly. Artemis felt dull at that moment, for he realized he was messing with his guest just hours before she went to his house... and if he was right about her capabilities then he was being an idiot...

"No... I did not mean it that way." he forced himself to say slowly, and she did not move, nor did the fire in her eyes seize to burn.

"Why 'did' you approach me yesterday?' he asked, a bit quieter, in hopes of making himself less a threat.

She loosened slightly and said carefully. "Oh I know your mother informed you..."

He remembered then, mother saying something about her being curious of him.

"But why?"

"Why ever not? Mr. Genius?"

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly at her. "If you know anything about me, I'd hope you notice how I don't socialize." He snapped, and she cocked her head at him in a way that stated how much she did not care for his statement.

"Of course."

"You approaching me is still unanswered then."

"People are not like mathematical equations, young Master Artemis." She stated softly, eyes narrowing at him. "An action need have no effect on what you would expect in the real world."

He started then, a bit surprised by her statement. It seemed she actually did not know him at all... Well how could she? She had after all watched him from afar. Never interacted with him...

The bell began to toll and he looked back at her face to catch her actually staring at him.

_She is studying me..._

"Do you not have a lesson to go to, Miss Lord?" He enquired, and she smiled bowing her head in something of a humble move, though there was something mocking about it that irritated him.

"As would you. Excuse me, Master Artemis." she added, walking up the stairs past him.

He followed her with a calculating look upon his face until she disappeared and then finally sighed, feeling out of sorts.

"This... is ridiculous." he grumbled, started up the stairs himself, fixing up his tie and putting his coat on in th process.

He would not allow her to affect him so strongly. He had other things to worry about-

And then he groaned out loud, realizing he had forgotten his Da Vinci book in his bed room.

Letting out a heavy breath he disappeared into class and ignored everyone for most of the morning, stopping his ignoring only to snap rather sulkily at the teacher who decided to call upon him to answer a question in physics class in which he answered the question to such perfection that the professor nearly passed out from shock.

It was not often that Artemis so much as spoke in class let alone answered a question. He had in fact begun to make mistakes on purpose in an attempt to derive the professors of any idea of his abilities in hope that he would be left alone, and it had worked well enough... for the most part.

Silent and cold he started out of class without looking at anyone only to stop dead just outside of the door finding someone rather rudely in his way.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you." The boy said slowly and Artemis realized he was the one that had been speaking to Crystal earlier. He was sorely tempted to simply say he hadn't been startled, but he swallowed the prideful comment and said slowly.

"It's fine." he murmured. The boy nodded. "My name is Matthew, it's a pleasure to meet you, Artemis."

Artemis started in slight surprise at his straight forward introduction. He hesitated to take his out stretched hand but finally did and Matthew just shook his hand, smiling a bit weakly.

"You must be a bit... confused." He admitted, and Artemis finally stopped blinking.

"Actually, no I am not. You know Crystal."

Matthew started in slight surprise. "Oh.. Yes, how did you-"

"You and I sparred in fencing class yesterday morning.' Artemis stated, making the boy blink again.

"Correct."

"What is it you want?" Artemis asked bluntly, not feeling at all like playing games. Matthew shrugged slightly. "You seem to know well where I'm coming from... I'm suprised you don't know."

"I have a vague idea, however I was hoping you would attempt something smarter than simply asking for it."

Matthew looked at him slightly with a calculating puzzled expression. "I'm not so sure you and I are on the same page..."

"We are. Crystal wants information." Artemis said thinly, feeling irritated.

Matthew blinked mildly at him. "...yes."

"She should be getting all she needs tonight seeing as she's coming to dinner." Artemis muttered and Matthew smirked slightly following him as he started walking towards his next class.

"As am I, young Master Fowl."

Artemis stopped and turned to look at him. "I beg your pardon?'

"Crystal and I are cousins... and I happen to be assigned with taking care of her." He murmured, looking away.

"Her father did not trust someone outside of family with her care as of a few months ago. So, I left Canada and went to England for a time to live with them, until they moved here."

Artemis was staring in surprise at him. "You're her body guard?"

"I suppose that's the correct term, yes."

He stared at him a long moment and then said. "I see..."

"You and her are very much alike, I see why she's so curious..." Matthew said with a bit of hesitance. Artemis turned to face him completely, eyes narrowed in thought. He was giving information.

"What?' he asked, rather dully he thought, but he said it anyway.

"She wants to know... how it is that you manage... to handle being here, and yet be so different. She knows what it's like, and as you can see. She's not been able to handle it very well." Matthew said, nodding over Artemis' shoulder with narrowed suddenly irritated eyes.

Artemis turned to look and to his surprise saw Crystal, at the end of the hall, surrounded by girls. She was small compared to the others, hugging her books to her chest, eyes flickering between them all, defiant though she was... she was cornered.

"...are they...?" Artemis said slowly, but the question had no need to be finished, for at that moment one of the girls took the books in Crystal's arms and forced them from her grip to the marble floor with a clatter.

Papers and books littered the floor. Crystal let her arms drop to her sides and looked the girl in the eye defiantly as she laughed and with her friends turned into the other hall.

Artemis looked away, feeling something odd in his chest. He turned to Matthew with narrowed eyes.

"If you're her bodyguard... why aren't you-"

"I can't. Crystal refuses my help. Since she arrived yesterday she has been the target in most of her classes. Except for the one she shares with you..." He said calmly, turning to look at him again.

"...Because she dared to speak to me." Artemis said eyes widening slightly. Matthew nodded. "She earned respect through speaking to someone they... feared, I suppose I can say."

"But if she's so much like me-"

"She is... However, more independant I would say." He smirked. Artemis bristled in annoyance.

"Good afternoon, Master Fowl. I shall see you this evening." He murmured, nodding his head before going down the hall to help Crystal as she gathered her books and papers.

Artemis did not reply, but watched them both as they quickly gathered her things, noting as Crystal grudgidly took her things from her cousin, and then they disappeared down another hall.

Frowning, he started to class, hearing the bell toll and realizing that he was in fact late...

But something else was festering in his mind. If she was supposedly so much like him... His eyes widened and he remembered her studying the same Da Vinci book that he had forgotten.

He frowned.

It was not impossible, however his mind suggested it was in fact unlikely. Deciding to keep his hypothesis at hand in case something to prove him right or wrong came along, he hurried down the hall...

He'd have to give Holly another call to see what she thought of all this sudden information...

* * *

"So... she was different today?" Holly asked, the image on the screen showing her leaning back with a puzzled expression on her face. Artemis nodded. 

"Yes... quite different. And her cousin, Matthew... that was a bit... Obvious. It was as if he didn't mind me knowing at all that they had in fact been speaking of me..."

"Well, he seems to be so comfortable in his own skin that I'm not that surprised. He sounds like the kind of guy that's just honest about things. He must be rather used to being around Crystal... so he wasn't affected by you at all." Holly said thoughtfully.

Artemis almost twitched at that comment, but skillfully kept his face in control and instead said nothing at all.

"... Perhaps you should just let things play out as they would." Holly said very quietly and Artemis looked over at the screen with dislike. "What?" he asked, though he had heard quite clearly what she had said.

She sighed. "i know it's not your choice of action-"

"It's not at all my choice of action..."

"Yes, but perhaps this is how you should handle it." she snapped. "She is a peer. More a peer to you than anyone else, by the sound of it... and I think perhaps she's just curious because you dont seem to be struggling as much as she is. Perhaps she didn't before her sister was killed."

Artemis frowned. "You aren't suggesting I actually comfort her, are you?"

"That's not at all what I said. I said let it play out as it would-"

"Holly..." he said very thinly, and the elf gave a loud huff. "I did not say anything of the sort."

"You were thinking it, however." He snapped, and she sighed. "Well... she sounds rather like she's in a lot of pain, Arty."

"I am not going to do as you say."

"I didn't say anything!"

"I think, I'm going to go and deal with this my own way." he said, moving to turn off the screen.

Holly glared at him and he could still feel the blow of power despite her being several miles under.

"Things will play out as they would whether you want them or not. I think you're just going to make things harder for yourself!" she cried. Artemis sighed. "Goodnight, Holly." he stated.

"Gah! Artemis Fowl you cowardly little-"

And he cut the communication bluntly, frowning at the now blank screen.

A knock at the door cut his thoughts short and he looked over his shoulder at it thoughtfully.

"Artemis, may I come in?" Butler's voice rumbled through the wood. He relaxed slightly and straightened, looking around the room for a moment to check and see if perhaps there was anything he would preffer to keep hidden but deciding it was fine he said.

"Yes, come in."

Butler opened the door and peeked in, seeing him at the desk, typing into his laptom lazily he finally stepped fully into the room.

"The Lords have arrived, your mother wishes you to come down and greet them..." he said quietly.

Artemis sighed softly and nodded, though his eyes were still on the screen. "I will be there in a moment." he murmured, his fingers moving with agility over the keys of the computer...

Hacking into his father's system was equivilant to logging into a mail account... After all most of his father's defenses were designed by him.

"... Are you all right? Since they arrived at Dublin you've been acting a bit strange." Butler murmured.

Artemis glanced at him as he accessed the computer files he wanted. "I am having some time adjusting to their pressence, I think that is all. AndI have some other things to worry about.. Not to do with them." he added, glancing at his friend, who frowned thoughtfully at him a moment before shrugging.

"All right, Artemis." he sighed, slipping out the door and closing it softly.

Artemis turned fully back to the screen, his eyes flickering over the information pouring on there, locating what he wanted.

In a few seconds he had the file needed.

"Matthew Williamson." he muttered, frowning. A sharp beeping nose made him jump slightly and he looked at the cell phone on the desk with scrutinizing blue eyes.

Sighing he picked it up, knowing well who it was.

"Yes?"

"Arty, whyever are you not down here already?"

"I will be down in justa moment, Mother..." he said, containing the irritation carefully.

"...I'd like you here now.." His mother said, with a tad of demand but more request than anything.

He sighed and rubbed his face. "All right, Mother. I'll be right down."

"Thank you, Arty."

"Yes, Mother."

He hung up and groaned slightly, leaning back and closing his eyes.

Sighing he stood and slipped out the door, starting down the stairs in silence, to find Juliet coming up, a frown firmly planted on her face, her hands clenched.

"Juliet, are you all right?' Artemis asked, blinking at her as she stormed past.

"That rotten little child- she reminds me a little of you when you were younger, actually." she muttered, and he started in surprise, only to look down and find Crystal looking up at him from the bottom of the stairs.

She blinked mildly, as if surprised by Juliet's reaction as the older youth stormed into one of the rooms in the hall and closed the door with enough force to make it echo around the foyer.

"What did you say?" Artemis asked, looking at Crystal with narrowed eyes. She blinked at him, turning to him after having stared at Juliet's tantrum with something like amusement.

"... I belive I wasn't very appreciative about her style of dress." she murmured, and Artemis sighed.

It only figured Juliet would have a tantrum over something so unimportant.

"What are you doing here?" He asked instead. She cocked an eyebrow slightly.

"Your mother told me to make sure you came down."

He stared.

"She sent you to get me...?"

"Yes."

He frowned. /Bother./

Still frowning he walked the rest of the way down the stairs and said very quietly.

"Well, let us not keep mother waiting."

Together and in silence they headed back towards the sitting area, Artemis wondering just how long he'd have to put up with the small yet threatening person beside him.

* * *

**Hi everyone, I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in so long... Things have been a bit of a hassle. I'll be honest and tell you that most of my fanfictions will just be around for me to write when i'm in writers block for my original work. **

**i have to finish a book by the end of this school year, so I'm a bit taken up with that and all my after school activities. However, this story will be updated once in a while, perhaps once a week if I can manage it.**

**Please Review, it keeps me going and knowing how I'm doing. If you see any plot holes or personality probs with Artemis and the other characters lemme know, I'm having trouble writing them well, i think they're sorta OC. but oh well...**

**Thanks for all!**

**-White Scribe**


	6. Chapter 5

_I think i owe you all an apology for taking so long in updating. As a matter of fact I'm pretty sure most of you wont return and so I'm saddened. I've been... gone for a long time due to a million and one different things. THere wasa musical I was in, my exams are this year, i'm in a small play and serving at a dinner theater, i'm in two choirs, a job and learning how to drive, so i've more than i should on my plate. Xx please forgive the absence. I hope you all return as i write more on this rather neglected fic._

_Chapter: Five_

The table was set with candles and china that looked as expensive as all of the house. Butler and Juliet were both lingering all around, but maids and a manservant served the food.

Crystal had been seated across from Artemis and beside her mother, who talked quietly with Angeline, almost ghostlike in both character and appearance.

Matthew had been seated beside Artemis himself and was quietly examining all those at the table. For the most part the adults kept the conversation at a steady flow. Mikkael and Artemis Senior having an easier time of it than anyone else. They talked loudly of politics, economics and their business, which was apperantly an invesment in communication technologies.

Quite obviously, Artemis and all other youth at the table found the conversation less than interesting. After picking at his food for half an hour he glanced up curiously to see Crystal pushing her carrots from one side of the plate to the other, gray eyes glazed in a daydream.

Matthew too stared at her thoughtfully then glanced at Artemis, meeting the boy's icy blue eyes knowingly. "Too familiar a scene, I figure." he muttered softly, earning little response from his host. Angeline glanced in their direction then thoughtfully, suddenly aware that they had been rather silent for a time.

"Come now, for a bunch of adolecents you're all awefully silent. If only you were all a bit more playful as Juliet is."

Slowly all three looked up to more or less stare at her. Artemis Senior caughed slightly and Mikkael smirked, moving his wine within it's silver cup.

"Now whatever did I say?" Angeline enquired, blinking back at their slightly offended stares. Juliet standing by the doorway grumbled something resembling "Idiots." and stormed out the door.

A maid slipped into the room then and enquired after most of their untouched meals. "Was there a problem with the dinner, Miss?" she asked, looking worried at Crystal who just shook her head, looking at the table in thought. "No... It's all right, I am not very hungry."

The ghost at the table suddenly turned to look at her and sighed. "Crystal I wish you would eat. Look at her Angeline, she's thin as a rail."

Artemis watched carefully as the heat began to flow into Crystal's cheeks. Like himself she obviously preffered the attention of everyone to be directed somewhere else, but mother's had a tendency of comparing with each other their children and so, as expected he sighed and heard his mother laugh.

"You and I struggle with the same thing, Marlene. Just look at my boy."

Mikkael laughed softly. "Ah, but boys can eat whole cellars and gain not an ounce at this age." Artermis Sr. nodded. "If only that were the case."

Artemis shifted under the sudden attention of all four adults and though he didn't blush as Crystal did he was obviously uncomfortable, something he had never really managed to hide. Smiling weakly Mrs. Lord sighed. "Oh now look, we've emberrassed them. I'm sorry, Crys, I'll leave you to your quiet conversation." she murmured turning away.

Crystal traced the design on the edge of the table cloth and muttered quietly. "Thank you, Mother."

"Ah, but they sound alike, don't they." Angeline mused, watching Crystal thoughtfully. The awkwardness turned up a notch at the moment and the youth in the group shifted mentally through possible escape routes.

"Yes they do, don't they?" Marlene muttered, and prodded her husband lightly. "Don't you think so, Mikkael, they act quite alike?"

Mr. Lord blinked mildly at the pair of them and chuckled before taking a sip of wine. "I would answer if I had some perception on their characters but I've only seen them shift awkwardly under our shrewd observation."

Artemis Sr. gave a chuckle. "My thoughts exactly, Mikkael."

"Mother." Artemis said suddenly, glancing at Angeline. "May I be excused, I've a few physics projects to work on and I-"

"Oh! Physics! I meant to tell you, Marlene here was telling me that Crystal has been having some struggles in that particular class. Don't you have the same one?"

Artemis looked at her a long moment and then sighed and sat back down having been halfway out of his seat already. "Yes."

"Excellent. Go do your homework together then. Matthew can tag along and help out when he can, I'm sure you know your grade eleven physics, Matt." She smiled.

Matthew only raised his eyebrows slightly and then nodded. "Well enough." he muttered. Feeling as though caged, Artemis stood and nodded towards Crystal who was looking pale and staring at Matthew as though asking for something.

Without a word in their direction Artemis started out the door, noting with slight triumph their hesitance to follow. Crystal had yet to move from her chair and was talking rapidly with her mother as he started out the door.

He thought perhaps he could disappear into the garden before she got up when his own mother suddenly called. "Oh, wait for Crystal, Arty. She'd have trouble finding you if you left."

There was silence a moment and then Crystal stood, looking slightly irritated. For a moment Artemis amused himself by comparing her to a watered kitten, but then the comparison died as her cold eyes turned to him, obviously defensive... if not, offensive. "Lead the way, Master Artemis."

Matthew, standing just behind her watched the two and realized that a rivalry was beginning. He didn't even understand why.

"Of course." Artemis muttered turning around. Butler and Juliet watched and silently Butler enquired whether or not to follow but Artemis gently shook his head as he left the dinning room and slipped into the foyer. He now knew the dangers she posed were not ones of bodily harm. Which meant that he was playing a game he knew.

Juliet however, had been eyeing Matthew with some interest for a time and as they began to start up the stairs she called from the doorway.

"Perhaps you should leave the two genuises to their work, Matthew. I think you and I both know if they need any help it must be solving the question of life itself. I've more interesting things you might want to see." she shrugged, nodding towards the weapon gallery. "Ever played with a 20th century katana?"

Crystal stopped midstep and turned to look at Juliet thoughtfully and then to Matthew who was looking at her instead of Juliet.

"Go if you like, I'm okay." Crystal murmured, nodding her head. Artemis watched her silently, noting the slight tightness around her mouth.

She was... under control, but okay wasn't the term.

"You're sure?" Matthew asked, eyes flickering to Artemis, who was offended to find warning in the look.

"Yes, I'm sure. Just... don't hurt anyone." she muttered, turning around to keep going. Juliet laughed from the foot of the stairs. "If anyone is getting hurt-"

"Do not begin a fight with boasts." Matthew muttered sullenly at her as he started down to floor. "It does nothing for your maturity level."

Juliet gaped at him as he slipped past her into the weapon's gallery, furious and obviously ready to pick a fight either way.

Artemis frowned slightly as the door slammed behind them. Perhaps leaving them alone wasn't such a good idea.

"Matthew will not hurt her, nor will he let her hurt him. He may have no blue diamond but he's reaching a level that is almost equivalent." Crystal assured him. "It's only their playtime either way."

Artemis highly doubted he was anywhere near Juliet's ability level but said nothing, studying instead Crytal's calm features. "I'm actually worried for the weapons. They are rather expensive."

The girl's features broke into a small smirk. "Ah, understandable, I suppose."

Artemis began to climb the stairs, pondering her sentence. "You suppose?"

"I shouldn't be surprised, but I figured someone with as much money as your family wouldn't worry over the expense of something." she replied, studying the persian rug they were walking all over.

"Things still hold value, even if you've the money to replace them." he retorted, frowning at her. It was as though she thought him materialistic.

His thoughts hit a brick wall then.

Was he materialistic?

He stopped at his bedroom door and opened it for her, suddenly irritated, remembering the incident with Holly and the Gold, and then Spiro and the Cube.

Crystal hesitated and he broke from his thoughts. "I dont want to invade your personal space, Artemis. I know what it's like to be forced into something. We needn't go in." she said suddenly, looking at the ground.

He stared at her, startled, having not seen this coming. For a moment he thought of actually taking her offer and closing the door... It was strange to have someone that wasn't Butler, Juliet or mother within... let alone a girl his age.

But then again, he had nothing to hide. Why should he care.

The moment of silence seemed to stretch on forever, then he almost sighed (only he didn't) and said. "I don't mind."

Again there was hesitance as if Crystal was the one who didn't feel comfortable but then she stepped in. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes he followed and closed the door behind him quietly. "I assume you actually aren't having trouble with your physics."

"... I could say yes."

He smirked as he tossed his supposed homework onto desk. "I dont know your IQ. But I know you have no trouble with physics."

There was quiet for a moment and he looked up to see Crystal frowning at him slightly. He looked back calmly. "Or am I wrong?"

She shook her head and sat at the edge of his bed, small enough to have her feet an inch off the ground. She swung them slightly, looking down.

"What is your IQ, Artemis?" she asked suddenly, making him frown and turn to look at her again. "Why would you ask that? You seem to know well enough." he retorted, suddenly ignoring the physics question in his textbook.

She looked up, eyebrows raised. "Well, you've done several tests and I've managed to get the results so I know what the rest of the world pretends to ignore, but you're a very mysterious person I highly doubt that you would publicy give everything you have on a test."

He stared at her then, for it was true. All tests had been written and carefully measured to show an above intelligence, however not one that would allow the world to put neon signs around him...

He looked at her in silence and then said. "I assume you've taken such tests yourself."

She laughed and shook her head. "No, I haven't. I don't know what my IQ is." She smirked. "So we can't make an exchange, even if I wanted to."

"You're obviously above average." he retorted, not amused by her witful ignorance. She shrugged in reply to his accusation. "If it's coming from you that must mean something." she smiled. "But I honestly don't know."

_On purpose as well. She knew I would want to know. If she's taken no tests just to block my knowledge there has to be something... or is she just playing with me?_

"Why would you take no tests? Are you not curious?" he asked calmly, leaning against his desk, watching her with cold blue eyes that weren't very friendly.

Crystal however seemed relatively immune. She was a good actress.

"Not particularly. Is that why you bothered to take the tests?"

He smirked. "It gave me a reputation, did it not?" Crystal stopped, as if she had not thought of that. "It did, you're right." she smirked right back. 'But I'm sure you're used to that."

Something like heat rushed to his neck and face at that comment and he turned around calmly to study the physics in front of him.

"And you're not?"

"I pretend not to be." He heard the sound of her shoes once more on the wood floor and turned to see her staring at the Da Vinci book on his dresser.

"...you like art...Master Artemis?"

The silence that followed was not as competative... and if he dare say, playful as before. This was something serious. There was an affect to her mood at the sight of the book. He frowned at her. "I like it well enough."

Her eyes scanned the room and suddenly he was aware of the carefully framed posters of famous painters, pianists and violinists around, each with a title. And yet to be put up, leaning against the wall was Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, beautiful and unsmiling in the corner, framed, but not up yet.

"The Mona Lisa... is she not good enough to be upon your wall?" Crystal asked, looking at it silently.

Artemis felt a buzzing at the back of his neck. This seemed a dangerous conversation. She had been looking at the same book, studying it the same way he had.

The Mona Lisa had no place upon his wall yet, because it had not been stolen and returned to a museum yet. Two months ago some high rate billionaire had dared to buy it from the museum, trading it not only for several paintings of other high class painters, but for a 'donation' of 12 million dollars to the museum.

It had not sat well with Artemis when he found out.

"She is good enough... I haven't...had the time to put her up yet." He lied carefully.

She began to walk quietly around his room then, studying each painting. "Irises...Garcon a la pipe...Monmartre, Massacre of the innocents...Les Noces de Pierette...Rideau..." she turned to look at him, her eyes a bit wider than before.

"These were all sold to private collectors."

He looked back at her calmly, realizing that she knew the art world as well as he did... she knew it and that meant.

"They were all stolen and put back." she frowned at him. "Lately anyway."

"You're certain? I did not know." he replied, blinking at her.

Her expression was surprisingly cold. "Of course."

The silence wore on for a time and he turned away to look at the physics, scribbling the answers to the questions rapidly, his mind going a few miles an hour. If she knew so much... and had been studying the Da Vinci book, that meant she might know he was the one stealing them back. But why would she act so surprised... so defensive.

Why would she be so hostile about it?

There was a knock at the door and without looking up Artemis called. "Come in."

The sound of Matthew calling Crystal through the door rang in his hears and then her footsteps as she headed out.

"Oh. Artemis..." she began and he fought furiously to cocentrate on the physics, trying to find an answer to what was going on.

"Where is the Mona Lisa now?'

He stopped. "New York... A collector by the name of Marque Anotel bought it two months ago."

He turned to look at her, and noted she didn't look surprised. "I know." she murmured, opening the door and slipping out.

Had he had less manners he would have allowed himself a bitter curse but instead he stood and moved rapidly towards his study, already coming up with a list of places to check if there had been any hacks into his system or those of Marque Anotel.

By midnight he knew that there had been two incidents when Marque Anotel's systems had been hacked. His were clear...

One incident had been him. He had left a backdoor. The other had been more careful, but not as effecient. It was a good hacker, but less expirienced.

Butler opened the door to the study and stood in the shadows, watching as his employer's pale face frowned at the computer screen looking pale and ill.

"Artemis... is something the matter?"

The boy looked up and then back at the screen, leaning his elbows on the desk. "Perhaps."

Butler frowned. Perhaps was not... very assuring.

"What is it?"

"I think... we have competition." He muttered, the frown coming over his features again. "Only, I don't understand why."

The weight of the sentence dropped on Butler's shoulders like a mountain. Artemis not understanding something was as strange as greek fire.

"Competition? In what?"

"The Mona Lisa." Artemis replied, pushing his chair back and standing. "We have to move fast. I somehow doubt it will be there for long."

Butler's eyes would have widened slightly. "The Mona Lisa?"

Artemis nodded and shut the computer down, leaving the room in darkness for a second before Butler flicked the light switch.

"When?" he enquired, knowing better than to try to talk Artemis out of it. The boy shrugged slightly. "In a week or so. Oh, how did Juliet and Matthew get along downstairs?"

Butler smirked. "Juliet beat him twice."

Artemis nodded. "I figured."

"But he let her." Butler added, watching Artemis look up questionably. "Oh?"

The manservant gave a definite nod. "They were only fooling around, but he's not as...amateur as I first thought."

"Well, Crystal was under the impression that Juliet had the blue diamond." Artemis muttered. "I'm guessing he was being very careful."

"Clever of him." Butler muttered, remembering the burn of Juliet's cheeks at the second allowed win.

"Yes." Artemis nodded. "They are smart... But enough of them for tonight, I've other things to think of." He sighed, rubbing his face slightly. "Good night, Butler."


	7. Chapter 6

_I love you guys, lol, thanks so much for coming back, I do appreciate the loyalty. I will try to keep up with such great reviewers. Next semester is a lot easier than my first so I figure I wont have to take such long breaks in between each chapter. If any of you catch Artemis being a bit OC please let me know, i'm feeling wary since he's in a new situtation dealing with a human girl not Holly. _

_Anywho. Please R&R, hope you enjoy._

* * *

_Chapter: Six_

"Crystal... Are you all right?" Matthew asked. All the way home he watched her, staring in silence out the window, eyes shadowed by the locks of black hair.

She didn't reply for a long moment then nodded slowly. "I'm fine."

He looked at her for a second then turned away. "Please don't lie to me."

"I'm not."

"It's all over you."

There was silence a moment. "I am frustrated and a bit shocked, however not upset." she turned to look at him with cold gray eyes, calculating the look of irritation on his face. "I don't lie."

They stared at each other and it wasn't a friendly moment, but then Matthew sighed and turned away, looking ahead towards the oncoming road lit on all sides with lights.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing on purpose."

"So he offended you without meaning to..."

"No." She turned to look at him with a frown. "He did not offend me."

"Then what shocked you?" he frowned back, slightly irritated by the strangness of it all. "He's the paint thief." she stated softly, turning to look at the window again. "The one we've been watching out for."

Matthews eyes widened. "But you said you traced him down to-"

"England, I know. He's a clever boy, Matt. I'm going to have to look over the research I've done." she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose lightly.

"He's eyeing the Mona Lisa as well."

Matthew stopped, looking at her with as much shock as she had felt upon seeing the poster in Artemis' room.

"...But... we need that painting-"

"I know. We have to move fast." she murmured, glancing at him. "Tomorrow I'm going to contact the suppliers in New York. They're moving the painting in four days. I know trying to reach it in mid move isn't the easiest way to go about it-"

"It's the worst way to go about it!" Matt snapped, turning to look at her. Crystal sighed very softly. "Matthew. Be silent. I know it not to be the best move, but we're competeting with Artemis Fowl."

"Exactly why we shouldn't try that.' Matthew growled, turning to look away, suddenly wary. They had been planning to take the Mona Lisa from the moment it was found out that a private collector was to be buying the masterpiece...for reasons that neither of them liked to discuss.

"Crystal, loosing the Mona Lisa to Artemis Fowl is not something we can afford." he whispered, glancing nervously at the driver, who looked in silence at the road.

Crystal stiffened beside him. Eyes narrowed in dislike she turned to look at him. "Do you think I'm not aware of that? Do you think I don't care? I know, Matthew. Despite what you may think, I'm not an idiot."

He glared at her a moment, the frustration of facing a situation that might put her in danger making him moody. "Perhaps you should tell him. He may decide to help rather than take the Mona Lisa himself if he knew your situation."

"I can handle it." She snapped, opening the door of the vehicle as soon as it came to a stop at the footsteps of the mansion.

Matt growled and stormed out after her, following her up the steps, leaving the driver to blink in surprise.

"I don't think you can."

"Then you don't know me." Taking a deep breathe she turned to look at him, standing just outside of the porch that rose around them with pillars and a pair of massive double doors leading into the new Lord Manor.

"I am capable of doing this, Matthew. Either trust me, or let me find someone who does." her words were not intended to hurt but it did the job and as though struck Matthew pulled back, looking at her in slight surprise. Never had there been much tension between the two of them, only under this kind of circumstance... one that played with the life of someone they both loved were they likely to battle for dominance.

"Fine. We'll hit the Mona Lisa on the move.' he muttered, shoving the door open and entering, ignoring the surprised look of the butler that stood at the doorway having just moved to open the door for them both.

Crystal stood outside, looking quietly on at the darkness cast by the lack of moonlight and stars. It was a difficult situation... made even more difficult by the meddling of the genuis with whom she had been facinated for years.

But the facination was beginning to decay, rotting away as the list of priorities was put more in order. She had family to take care of, and vengence to pay. The Mona Lisa was the key, he would not take it from her without a fight.

* * *

When the morning came, Artemis had already managed to round up enough information on Crystal to feel a bit more comfortable should he have to face her in the day.

From his studies of the diary entries his mother and father kept on laptops and other pcs that littered the house he had found a goldmine of information passed from Crystal's own parents onto his own and then recorded as thoughtful reflections of the day by both.

It was as factual a story of Crystal as he was to get, unless he spoke to Matthew or to her directly.

From the moment he found the diary of his father in the local server he word searched it to find anything to do with the Lord family. Often it was simply the dealings of business, not too pleasant to read, but interesting anyway.

Then, as the years went on and he found himself being mentioned almost as much as Crystal... things he had not expected began to float through the words.

He knew now that he was nine months older than her. That her relationship with her sister had been one that he could only compare to himself and Butler. That her mother had been absent in a coma due to a heart problem. For two years the only mother that Crystal had known was her older sister.

he knew that Matthew had been often in and out of the house with his parents and that their side of the family had been straight with the law for three generations, something that Mikkael Lord admired but dared not attempt on his own.

He knew also that Crystal had been a very quiet child, and that to his shock, she had visited Fowl Manor more than once during the days that he had stayed at boarding schools. The reason that he had not been told of the closeness between their two families had been, very simply, protection.

Should anyone think him a link to them, it would double his dangers of kidnapping and more. For once he wished his parents had not cared for him so much.

It was a reality he was grudgidly accepting that he was curious about Crystal... Curious because, logically she was the first in a long endless line of female bothers to attract his attention in a way that wasn't simply a wonder at how moronic she was.

Caught off guard by the thought he stopped, halfway done buttoning up his shirt. _Curious..._

As usual he made his tea, but too busy with his thoughts made no jabs at Juliet, sitting half asleep by the counter with her coffee. She watched as he left, his eyes glued to the Da Vinci book.

Butler too noted a change in his young charge. Silence weighed heavily by deep thought and a look of concentration across the boy's face made him shift uneasily in his seat. He had seen that look many times before, but not for a while. He had hoped he wouldn't again.

"Artemis?" he asked as the young man went to get out of the car.

Dragging his mind from his thoughts the boy turned. "Yes, Butler?"

"Perhaps speaking honestly with Miss Lord on the matter with the Mona Lisa would be more helpful than preparing to battle for the painting. After all, we still don't know why she wants it."

Artemis looked at him a moment, pondering his point. The question of why had obviously been bouncing around in his head for all of the night, and still no answers came. As far as he was aware she wasn't even an expirienced thief, let alone one that would dare try to get paintings as expensive as the Mona Lisa. That, or she had covered her footsteps so well he had never expected nor noticed heavy competition...

"I will find out, Butler. I do not do things on a whim."

The manservant nodded, knowing that to be as true as Artemis would ever go. "All right."

With a firm nod they parted and Artemis closed the car door, stepping back to watch Butler drive away. He half expected Crystal to sneak up behind him as the day before but the steps were deserted and as the bell rang he sighed. It would be a long day if she was refusing to play...

* * *

He waited at the door of the Physics room, watching as his classmates ran in, glancing nervously in his direction. It wasn't often that he did something out of the ordinary. His routine had been solidly set the moment the school year began. He was always the first in the class and the first to leave, saying nothing to anyone, sitting in silencein his seat with his work out on his desk... and several other things that looked more complicated than the very things they were dealing with.

To see him standing by the doorway set their subconcious into wary caution. But Artemis paid them no heed, too preoccupied with watching out for a short but powerful little competitor he was sure to see coming down the hall.

As expected he caught sight of her, turning the corner into the hall, her arms tight around her books and her head bowed slightly. He frowned. It was a defensive slightly frightened stance... one he had not seen her use while walking around before.

The reason for her wariness became apperant as a group of girls turned the corner behind her, their laughter ringing loudly down the hall. Something within Artemis shifted uneasily just watching as the smaller figure of Crystal was drowned in their crowd.

Thoughts bounced around his head eerily. Holly and Butler... and probably everyone he considered his friend would be disappointed to hear that he had stood there and watched as she was bullied, however the logic in his mind stated she was an enemy and this sort of thing would weaken her against him.

A cold shiver drifted down his back as he remembered years ago when he had thought that the enemy of his enemy was his friend.

Looking on at those girls, cirling her like a pack of hyennas, he knew it to be false. Sighing and forcefully shutting up the voice of Holly in his mind he started down the hall, ignoring the sound of the bell tolling and the class doors beginning to close. He'd be late for Physics.

The sudden sound of a body slamming against a wall startled him out of his thoughts and he suddenly didn't care.

The group of girls began to drift away, still jeering. They were taller, and stronger and more confident that the small one that was now leaning lightly against the hall wall, wiping with her jumper's sleeve the blood that dripped down from her ripped lip.

"We'll see you at lunch, China." One of the girls called over her shoulder sweetly before disappearing around the corner.

Crystal's gray eyes glared in their direction, her ears ringing with the sound of their laughter drifting away. Not knowing she was being watched, she quietly sniffed and bent down to pick her things up.

Artemis watched her for a moment, hesitant to help, but too closer to get away without her realizing he was there. She saterd at her pale hand for a moment, which was shaking furiously and clenched it.

"Are you all right?" He asked suddenly, the words slipping out of his mouth before he had a chance to think them up let alone allow them passage. It startled him as much as her, for she looked up sharply and stood.

"How long have you been there?" she snapped instead, the defensiveness still lingering over her body. he resisted the urge to shrug and bent down to pick up some of her books.

"A few minutes. Long enough."

She didn't move for a moment, as if contemplating what he wanted, then quietly she bent down and began to pick her things up as well.

"Thank you." she muttered as he handed her the textbooks.

"They called you China." he said quietly, curiousity lingering over his face as they began to walk to class. "Why?"

Crystal's lips pressed together into a thin line as she walked along beside him, staring straight ahead.

"China Dolls. They think I look like a China Doll." she muttered and he blinked, seeing as there was little insult in that, but still Crystal seemed to feel the force of it in a way that stated it 'was' one.

_Is this one of those 'girl' things Juliet says I'll never understand?_

"I see.." he said and she smirked suddenly, glancing at him. "No you don't."

They stopped at the door of the physics room and he smirked back. "You're right, I don't."

Neither moved to open the door, and finally Crystal dared to look at it. Brown and solid and certainly dividing them both from a long hour of boredom.

"I'm not going in." she muttered suddenly, touching her sleeve to her lip again to stop the bleeding. "I've to get cleaned up. Thank you for the help, Master Artemis." she muttered, turning to continue down the hall.

Artemis watched her, having seen such a reaction coming. She looked as though she had been tossed around, it made sense that she wouldn't want to go into class. The teacher would ask what happened...

Then the thoughts collided forcefully with his mind that if they had both entered, not only would the teacher ask what happened... he'd ask Artemis what happened.

He very nearly twitched and suddenly followed her. He couldn't go into class either...

"Miss Lord." he called, making her turn to look at him over her shoulder with a frown. "What?"

He kept walking, making her follow at a slow walk. "How do you know so much about paintings?"

Crystal sighed then and he watched in surprise as she pinched the bridge of her nose... much as he did when in deep thought.

"The same way you come to know so much about them, Master Artemis." she muttered, shifting her books in her arms slightly. He almost smirked and glanced to the right at the iron gate of the school, shut tightly to keep them all in.

She was playing a very clever game.

"You were very interested in the Mona Lisa." he stated, decided he didn't want to drag the thing on forever. He stopped walking, forcing her to look at him. "Why?"

She frowned. It was as straight forward a question as he would dare to ask. They both knew then that both were aware of their plans.

"It's a rather complicated situation." she replied. He frowned. "I need to know."

"I can't tell you. Though, if it changes anything at all. I would preffer not to care for the Mona Lisa at all. If I could have my way... I would forget it ever existed." she smiled and it wasn't at all a happy expression.

"The painting however holds other values that I can't ignore." she frowned and then said very quietly. "And you? Why do you care for the Mona Lisa? She is, just another painting, after all."

Artemis felt the conversation beginning to complicate and knew there was a hidden question in her sentence, but distinguishing it was a difficult matter.

"You know who I am, don't you." he stated instead, and Crystal's expression changed to slight surprise.

"Yes, I do."

"I don't care that it's just a painting, Miss Lord. No painting is 'just' a painting."

Crystal nodded slowly. "I see."

"And you? Who are you?" Artemis pressed. Crystal smiled again. "No one at all. Just a girl caught up in a complicated plot, that's all." she turned to continue walking, forcing him to follow.

The tides seemed to turn against each other in their conversation, for only minutes did one have the upper hand. He was growing steadily wary.

"No one...? Then why would you want her?"

Crystal stopped and then put her books down on the railing. "Matthew wished me to explain that to you. He said you might withdraw your claim. I don't think you would." she pulled herself up on the railing as well, letting her feet hang down, inches off the ground.

"You're too competative."

"Don't judge me before you know me." Artemis retorted, feeling a bit insulted.

"The Mona Lisa is currently in the property of Marque Anotel. He is living in New York city and the painting to be displayed in his apartment there. They are moving it from the Paris museum to New York in a few days time. Marque Anotel happens to be the son... of my father's late associate Antonio Anotel. His business collapsed when my father decided to pull back his financial support. This did not sit well with the Anotel family." her face darkened for a moment and she turned away.

"They're the ones that took my sister away."

Artemis started in slight surprise, having not thought of such a connection. "I looked into the investigation- they said they had no clue who-" he began.

Crystal scoffed. "I was there, I saw their faces. Marque Anotel was leading the operation. Antonio often called him on his cell phone while they had the house surrounded. Antonio gave the order to kill my sister. Marque is the one that put the gun in my hands and made me pull the trigger."

The silence was weighed down like a mountain was around them. The rumours his mother had heard were apperantly true. "...you shot..." Artemis began slowly, remembering that the relationship between Crystal and her sister had been much like him and Butler.

"They drugged me, I didn't know who I was shooting until after. Then the police stupidly began to threaten that they would go in... Antonio said to get out, so Marque did. they snuck out. Our grounds in England were surrounded by forest. In the dark you can loose someone in there for hours. They had an easy time leaving." she sighed.

"This doesn't explain why you want the Mona Lisa." Artemis pointed out, shoving his shock away to examine later. Crystal nodded. "It doesn't, I know. It explains why Marque wants the Mona Lisa... and why they were in our home." she shook her head.

"My sister had been researching for a long time something she said she had found in the earth... miles down. She found pieces of information hidden in many historical things everywhere, including the Mona Lisa, she said that was the key. She was sure she would find whatever was in the earth with the Mona Lisa. Because our lines were tapped the Anotels found out and thought it had something to do with money... that's why they wanted the Mona Lisa so badly." she sighed.

Artemis stared at her in silence, fully aware of the knot that had formed in his stomach upon her mentioning the 'something' under ground.

"What was it she thought she had found underground?"

"Something... she never dared to tell me what. But she often studied egyptian symbols and the like. I was never very interested, but she was fully devoted. I have yet to crack her own encryption on her data base. She was a lot smarter than I am..." Crystal frowned at the ground.

"She shouldn't have died."

Heart beating furiously, Artemis nodded and turned to look out, trying to calm his senses. Was it possible that Crystal's sister had begun to find traces of the People...?


End file.
